1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a molding apparatus for patterned shaped articles and a method of using the molding apparatus for producing patterned concrete shaped articles, patterned artificial stone shaped articles, patterned raw products for sintering into ceramic shaped articles, patterned ceramic shaped articles, patterned metal shaped articles, patterned impasto shaped articles, patterned plastic shaped articles, patterned shaped foodstuffs and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Up to now the only way available for providing a part of a surface, such as of paving blocks, with a pattern indicating a crosswalk, a stop sign or other such traffic control mark or for providing the entire surface of the blocks with a pattern has been to paint the surface with a coating material such as paint or to inlay the desired pattern.
Since the patterns painted on a part or all of the surface of paving blocks are exposed to abrasion from, for example, the shoes of pedestrians walking on the blocks and the tires of vehicles driving over them, they quickly wear off and have to be redone at frequent intervals. The amount of labor involved in this work is considerable. Where the pattern is formed by inlaying, the work itself is troublesome and very costly.
For readily producing patterned shaped articles that do not lose their surface patterns and do not become unsightly even when exposed to surface abrasion, the inventors previously proposed methods that use at least one member selected from among an auxiliary form matched to the pattern to be formed (Japanese Patent Public Disclosures No. 4-105903, No. 5-38707, No. 5-38708 and No. 5-238767 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,376,321), a cell body consisting of contiguous columnar subdivisions of equal height (Japanese Patent Public Disclosures No. 4-140104, No. 4-139083, No. 5-84715, No. 5-84714 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,791 and a bristling body consisting of a dense aggregation of upright bristles (Japanese Patent Public Disclosures No. 4-345803, No. 5-32468, No. 5-237816 and No. 5-237821 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,772).
The inventors also proposed a method of producing patterned shaped articles with markedly improved productivity comprising the steps of using an auxiliary form, a cell body or a bristling body to form a course of a first material to a prescribed thickness, removing a part of the first material course to form empty regions therein, and charging the empty regions with a second material (Japanese Laid Open Publication No. 5-253910and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 021,554).
One object of this invention is to provide a molding apparatus for patterned shaped articles and a method of producing patterned shaped articles able to produce desired patterns at high speed.
Another object of the invention is to provide a molding apparatus for patterned shaped articles and a method of producing patterned shaped articles readily adaptable to computer control and enabling all types of patterns to be produced using computer software.